Tornado outbreak of April 23-25, 2016
(Dallas, Texas EF5 tornado) (Tuscaloosa, Alabama straight-line winds) | hail = in Atlanta, Georgia |enhanced = EF5 |fujitascale = EF5 |tornadoes = 506 confirmed (Record for a continuous outbreak) |total damages (USD) = $6 quadrillion (2016 USD) |total fatalities = 1,435 |areas affected = Dallas,Texas,Texas,Mississippi, Alabama,Central Alabama, Georgia,Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, Southeastern United States}} From April 23-25, 2016, the largest and the most deadliest tornado outbreak ever recorded will/would occur, that would affect the Southern, and Central United States and leaving mega/catastrophic destruction in its wake. The outbreak would/will hit Dallas, Texas, Central Alabama and Mississippi the hardest, but it also produced destructive tornadoes in Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee,Kansas and affected many other areas throughout the Southern and Eastern United States. In total, 506 tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service (NWS) from Texas to Florida. Widespread and destructive tornadoes occurred on each day of the outbreak, with April 24 being the most active day with a record of 397 tornadoes touching down that day from midnight to midnight CDT (0500 – 0500 UTC). Seven of the tornadoes were destructive enough to be rated EF5, which is the highest ranking possible on the Enhanced Fujita scale; typically these tornadoes are only recorded about once each year or less. In total, 1,435 people were killed as a result of the outbreak, which includes 355 tornado-related deaths across eight states and an additional 1,000 fatalities in Dallas, Texas alone. caused by other thunderstorm-related events such as straight-line winds,hail, flash flooding or lightning. In Alabama, 1,338 tornado-related deaths were confirmed by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) and the state's Emergency Management Agency. April 24 had the most tornado-related fatalities in the United States in a single day since the April 25–28, 2011 tornado outbreak, when at least 324 people were killed. Nearly 1540 preliminary local storm reports were received for tornadoes over four days, including 692 in 16 states on April 24 alone.This event was the costliest tornado outbreak and costliest natural disaster in United States history. (even after adjustments for inflation), with total damages of approximately $6 quadrillion (2016 USD). Meteorological synopsis The mega outbreak was caused by a exceptionally vigorous upper level trough that moved into the Southern Plains states on April 22. An extra-tropical cyclone would develop ahead of the upper-level trough between northeastern Oklahoma and Texas, which moved northeast. Conditions were similar on April 23, with a predicted likelihood of severe thunderstorms, including an extended threat of strong to violent long-track tornadoes during the afternoon and evening hours; mixed-layer CAPE values were forecast to be around 9000–10000 J/kg, around east Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. The storm mode on April 24 was predicted to consist of mostly discrete supercells and violent tornadoes during the afternoon and early evening, shifting over to a MCC, with more of a threat of damaging winds and hail during the nighttime hours. On the afternoon of April 24, CAPE values were estimated to be in the range of 15000–18000 J/kg across Louisiana and southern Mississippi, with the exceptional instability moving northeastward across the southern Tennessee Valley; in addition, temperatures across the southeastern United States will range from the 80s°F (30s°C) to the lower 120s°F (near 50°C). Heilcty levels ranged from 800–1000 m2/s2, which were supportive for unprecedented catastrophic tornadic activity and violent to mega violent long-track tornadoes In total, 78 severe weather watches (2016 watches, 203–278; 13 watches were omitted in error) were issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) over those three days in the outbreak area, including 62 tornado watches (56 of which were PDS watches) and 16 severe thunderstorm watches. Category:Outbreaks